The Ultimate Event for LEGO Fans: LEGO KidsFest, Charlotte

Friday, February 26, 2016

Thank you to US Family Guide and LEGO KidsFest for providing me with event tickets in exchange for my honest review. Al thoughts and opinions shared are my own,

Last Friday, we had the opportunity to visit LEGO KidsFest, Charlotte, NC. LEGO KidsFest is a touring LEGO event that makes its way around the country every year. Our first LEGO KidsFest event experience was two years ago, when B was three years old. This year, the event stopped in Charlotte, at the Charlotte Convention Center, and we were excited for the opportunity to attend with B, and Cousin C. B, C, and my hubby are huge LEGO fans, so they couldn't wait to see the fun, games, displays and merch that awaited us at the event.

To say that B was excited is probably a bit of an understatement. He loves spending time with his Cousin C, and really looks up to him. They are about six years apart in age, but Cousin C loves B, and is so good about spending time with him- playing, and building with LEGOs, of course!

One of the awesome displays at LEGO KidsFest- Spiderman!

Once we entered the convention center, we were in awe of all of the displays and activities to check out. LEGO KidsFest truly is a LEGO lover's dream! The convention center was filled wall to wall with LEGO expert builders, life-size displays, activity stations, LEGO merch, building academy centers, and more! With so much to see and do at LEGO KidsFest, we didn't know where to start!

As soon as the boys laid eyes on the LEGO Star Wars area, I knew where we'd be for the next thirty minutes!

We waited in line for about ten minutes, until we were invited to head to a table to participate in a team relay. Each team member was given a card with a picture of a build piece needed to create a LEGO starship. The players had to race down to a table with a tub filled with LEGO pieces, and find their needed piece. Once all of the players found their pieces, they had to build their team starship together, and race it to the finish line.

The boys, waiting for instructions at the LEGO Star Wars Relay Race.

LEGO piece tables.

A blurry shot a B running, lightning fast, with his LEGO piece for the starship.

Getting ready to build the team starship.

Working together to get the starship built.

Completing the starship race!

All of the teams were winners, and were presented with a mini LEGO Star Wars set as a prize! B and C were super excited that they each won a LEGO set to take home!

Next, the boys wanted to visit the LEGO Technic station.

My hubby loves the LEFO Technic sets. Most of them are really expensive, so we only get to try them out when we attend LEGO events. The Technic sets are cool, because you build them, and then play with them- they move! These LEGO vehicles are motorized, and can be driven with RC's! We waited in line for quite a while (be prepared to do a lot of waiting in line at a LEGO KidsFest event!). When it was finally our turn to play with the LEGO Technic vehicles, the boys were so excited! There was a race track set up, and they had to drive their LEGO diggers down the path with the RC, and then drop bricks into a bin.

Cousin C getting a quick lesson on how to work the controller.

B, getting his instruction, next.

The boys, racing their LEGO Technic diggers!

The final stretch- dropping the bricks in!

The boys loved the Technic center, and loved racing one another! There was also a drawing that we entered each of the boys into, for their own LEGO Technic Set! The giveaway was for kids only, so grown-ups couldn't enter for themselves. I actually loved that they kept it all about and for the kids.

The next area we visited, was the LEGO Racers center.

In this station, there were lots of different LEGO tables set up with tubs of LEGO bricks, which were filled with needed pieces to create LEGO race cars. B loves building race cars with his LEGO bricks, so this was exciting for him. It was difficult getting a spot at the tables, because the event was so crowded, but once the boys squeezed in, they were able to build some pretty cool cars!

B and C, hard at work with their LEGO Racer creations.

Once their cars were built, they headed to the racing ramp to race their race cars against other LEGO enthusiasts.

After the boys raced their cars, they wanted to head to the LEGO Ninjago area. B is a huge LEGO Ninjago fan, and was excited to see some lifesize LEGO Ninjago characters. We didn't actually go through the LEGO Ninjago activity center, because it was way too crowded.

The boys, hanging out next to Cole, the Black Ninja.

We walked around for a bit, and grabbed a big pretzel to share. I could tell that after three and a half hours of waiting in line, the boys were fading. We found a similar team relay race to the one they participated in at the Star Wars station, and they decided that they wanted to wait in line so they could race in another relay. This race was a LEGO pizza challenge race. There was a pizza shaped LEGO board, and kids had to work together as a team to race to the bins containing LEGO bricks for toppings, pick them up with tongs, race back to the baking table, and then take their team pizza down to the finish line on a pizza peel! This was such a fun race. B sort of took the lead managing laying out the toppings on the pizza, which was so cute! At the end of the race, each player received a free LEGO mini prize- a LEGO Avengers set! The boys went home with not one, but two free mini LEGO sets!

The LEGO Shop at LEGO KidsFest.

The last thing we did before heading home, was to hit the LEGO shop. It was insanely crowded in this area. The LEGO sets were comparable to what they cost in retail stores, however the LEGO Dimension sets were about 50% off the regular retail price! B received a LEGO Dimension starter set for Christmas, so we let him pick a new figure set to take home, as well as a new LEGO Nexo Knight set. These are the newest addition to the LEGO family, and B is already hooked!

Both of the boys were able to take home new LEGO sets, plus the LEGO mini sets that they won as prizes in the relay races. As we expected, the event was extremely packed. We were there on opening night, from about 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The event lasted until 8:30 pm, but when they boys had seen everything they were interested in, they were ready to go. They couldn't wait to get home so they could build their LEGO sets!

We had a blast at LEGO KidsFest. We didn't get to attend last year, so we were very excited that LEGO KidsFest came back to NC this year. It was definitely more fun this time around, since B is older, and is way more into LEGO bricks than he was at age 3, when he just played with DUPLO.

LEGO KidsFest is an official LEGO Event and is supported and authorized by The LEGO Company.

This interactive LEGO extravaganza travels throughout North America and brings all of the creative hands-on, minds-on fun of LEGO building and experiences together in an activity and entertainment-packed family event for children of all ages and builders of all skills and interests. Since 2009, LEGO KidsFest has made over 30 tour stops, visiting more than two dozen cities across North America.

LEGO fans can get creative in the construction zones, meet and learn from LEGO Master Builders,

participate in group builds, and

see life-sized models made

entirely from LEGO bricks.

LEGO Systems, Inc.

LEGO Systems, Inc. is the North American division of

The LEGO Group, a privately held, family-owned company based

in Billund, Denmark, one of the world's leading manufacturers of creatively educational play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.” Visit the virtual LEGO world at www.LEGO.com.

About the LEGO Group

The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, and main offices in Enfield, USA, London, UK., Shanghai, China, and Singapore. Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and based on the iconic LEGO® brick, it is one of the world's leading manufacturers of play materials.

For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance and responsibility engagement, please visit www.LEGO.com/aboutus.

Want to go? Get your tickets!

Head on over to LEGO KidsFest to find information about the 2016 tour, and to purchase tickets!

Special thanks to US Family Guide and LEGO KidsFest for allowing us to attend the Charlotte, NC event, and for inviting us to share our experience. We had a blast, and can't wait until the tour comes back to NC!

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